Just because they’re below eye level doesn’t mean you should overlook your baseboards. If you’re giving your space a makeover with paint, your trim might need a touch-up, too. But painting baseboards might be tricky—especially if you have carpeted floors.
Luckily, by taking certain preventative measures, painting your baseboards is a doable DIY task, no matter what type of floor you have.
Prepping to Paint Baseboards
While jumping into any project can be tempting, prepping the area is important if you want your baseboard (and carpet!) to look as clean as possible.
Pick Your Paint and Gather the Tools
With all DIY projects, you’ll need to gather your tools—which, of course, in this case, will include paint.
If you want a cohesive look, look for a trim color that blends well with the colors of your walls. Or if you want the baseboards to pop, go for a bold, new shade. Just make sure you take your time in choosing paint colors so you don’t have painter’s remorse.
Vacuum the Floors
The corners and edges in any room are breeding grounds for dust, debris, and other particle build-ups. Before you get painting, vacuum the entire area around the baseboard to remove all dust and dirt. If you don’t, the debris will end up finding its way onto your freshly painted baseboard and tarnish your work.
4 Steps to Painting Baseboards with Carpet
Now it’s time to paint. In just a few steps, you’ll have newly painted baseboards and a complete DIY project to show off.
Protect the Carpet
When painting near carpets, there’s always that risk of making a mess. That’s why it’s important to take preventative measures to protect your carpet. You can do this by simply pulling back the carpet edges and folding them to be out of the way, or you can spread painter’s tape along the carpet’s edge. To show some extra TLC to your carpet—and be a little more cautious in the face of paint spills—lay a drop cloth over the rest of the carpet.
If you go the tape route, you can go a step further to ensure you’re maximizing your carpet protection efforts.
Using a putty knife, press onto the tape to move it under the baseboard. This shouldn’t be too difficult, as there’s usually a decently large gap between the carpet and baseboard. This helps prevent drippage on the edges of your carpet when your paintbrush makes contact with the floor.
Use a dry cloth to wipe down the baseboards and eliminate any debris (the last thing you want is any chunks of dirt or dust infiltrating your new paint job).
If your baseboards are visibly covered in dust, using a damp cloth is more effective. Just make sure the baseboards are fully dry before painting!
Prep Your Brush
Only cover about half of the bristles when dipping the brush into paint. With this method, you’re less at risk of dripping paint (and a big mess).
To remove any dripping or loose paint from your brush, simply tap the brush against the paint bucket or use the sides to wipe it off.
Paint the Baseboards
Finally—it’s time to paint! Apply one coat, wait for it to dry, then add another coat if needed. There’s no rule about how many coats to put on, so if you think it’s necessary, apply a third.
To make this process easier, try sticking to painting in one direction—from either the left to right along the length of the baseboard or vice versa.
After your paint has dried (a safe bet is to wait two to three hours after the last coat), remove the tape and drop cloth.
DIY Painting Baseboards vs. Hiring a Pro
While painting your baseboards is a doable DIY project, you can always opt to hire professional help. To ensure your carpet is free of paint drips, hire a local painter to do the job. On average, the cost to hire a professional painter is around $2 to $6 per square foot.
Lydia Schapiro Lydia is a writer and editor who is passionate about discussing DIY projects, home decor, and sustainable homes. She’s shared her pieces on New York Minute Magazine, Seabedee, and bSmart. When she’s not typing away at the computer, Lydia loves drawing, playing the piano, yoga, and running.
Lydia Schapiro Lydia is a writer and editor who is passionate about discussing DIY projects, home decor, and sustainable homes. She’s shared her pieces on New York Minute Magazine, Seabedee, and bSmart. When she’s not typing away at the computer, Lydia loves drawing, playing the piano, yoga, and running.
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